RDA Examination Data

The California Association of Dental Assisting Teachers is here to assist formal education as well as work-experience pathway candidates to licensure as a Registered Dental Assistant. We want all candidates to have the best most accurate information possible.

We recognize that often times candidates, instructors, employers and institutions experience delays in obtaining information from the Dental Board or their website. We are committed to helping the dental community with the necessary information including the following forms:

CADAT Candidate Guide for Success - this helpful resource assists both formal education and work-experience applicants to understand the application and examination process with FAQs developed by educators and Dental Board staff - click here to download

Applicants are encouraged to download and review the new application instructions for each pathway. CADAT has extracted the instruction pages from each application type and have provided each for you to download below:

For new application instructions for the formal education pathway - click here

For new application instructions for the work experience/non-Board-approved coursework pathway - click here

Click here to download 2013 RDA Practical Examination ScheduleClick here to download current RDA Law and Ethics Examination OutlineClick here to download current RDA Written Examination OutlineClick here to download current RDA Written Examination Plan

Click here for the CADAT Candidate Guide to Success - a great tool offered to candidates to help answer questions about the examination process.

Need Examination Prep Resources? NEW - RDA Written Examination Prep Book Available

The Foundation of CADAT, the Foundation for Allied Dental Education, offers two great examination prep books for all those examination candidates wishing to refresh or learn the necessary content for preparing to take the California Law and Ethics examination and the RDA Written examination.

Formal Education Pathway: Those who have graduated or are preparing to graduate from a Board-approved RDA program in California. Those who have graduated after July 1, 2009 will have different documentation requirements to submit to the Board with their application as those who graduated prior to July 1, 2009. The new RDA application for the formal education pathway will clearly define what documents are required to submit with the application.

Work Experience Pathway/Those Completing Dental Assisting Coursework: Those who have not completed a Board-approved program but have worked 15 months as a dental assistant. This application pathway also includes those who may have completed some of the 15 month requirement in a non-Board approved dental assisting course or program. The new RDA application for the work experience/non-Board approved coursework pathway will clearly define what documents are required to submit with the application.

What Documents Are Required with Application?

For formal education pathway: If the candidate completed a Board-approved RDA program and possess a certificate of program completion dated after July 1, 2009, the only documents required to submit with the application are:

Certificate of Program Completion dated on or after July 1, 2009

Copy of current CPR card (AHA/ARC)

For those formal education pathway candidates who graduated from the Board-approved program prior to July 1, 2009 will be required to provide the following documents with the application:

Certificate of Program Completion dated prior to July 1, 2009 (date of program completion may not be more than three (3) years immediately preceding date of application)

Copy of current CPR card (AHA/ARC)

Certificate of completion of a Board-approved course in Infection Control - 8-hours

Optional: Certificate of completion of a Board-approved course in Pit and Fissure Sealants (NOTE: If not completed and submitted at the time of application, the candidate may still take the licensing examinations but must complete the certification course by the first renewal of the RDA license requiring continuing education) - 16-hours

For work experience pathway: For those candidates challenging the RDA examination by using verifiable work experience of 15 months or more, or a combination of work expereince and verifiable dental assisting coursework, the following documents will be required to submit to the Board at the time of application:

Copy of current CPR card (AHA/ARC)

Certificate of completion of a Board-approved course in Infection Control - 8-hours

Certificate of completion of a Board-approved course in California Radiation Safety - 32-hours

Certificate of completion of a Board-approved course in Coronal Polishing - 16-hours

Optional: Certificate of completion of a Board-approved course in Pit and Fissure Sealants (NOTE: If not completed and submitted at the time of application, the candidate may still take the licensing examinations but must complete the certification course by the first renewal of the RDA license requiring continuing education) - 16-hours